The Antechamber and the King's Bedroom

In line with the spirit of the era, the King's apartments had a representative character; they were meant to dazzle the guests who visited the ruler here. An antechamber preceded the bedroom in which audiences took place. In the decor of the rooms, official and political themes intertwine with private ones. Complex content is expressed through mythological stories, which were the universally understood language of the elites of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

The Antechamber and the Queen's Bedroom

The Queen's apartments occupy the northern part of the Palace and are arranged symmetrically with respect to the King's rooms. This indicates the equivalent position of the Queen, and the Baroque splendour of the apartments emphasises her role in building the prosperity of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The decorations are full of allusions to the personal qualities of the Queen, the love between the royal spouses and their family life.

The Four Seasons

A series of plafonds depicting the Four Seasons is one of the most valuable monuments of Baroque art in Poland. The impressive ceiling paintings were made by Jerzy Eleuter Szymonowicz-Siemiginowski, court painter to King Jan III. Mythological figures express the praise of just governments leading to the prosperity of the country, and also refer to the love between Jan and Maria Kazimiera.
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    The King's Library

    The library in the Palace was established in the 1780s for King Jan III, who was an enlightened man who read a great deal. On the ceiling, there are two circular tondo paintings with the allegories Theology and Philosophy, surrounded by a rich stucco decoration, and numerous images of artists and scholars, under which books from various fields of knowledge were placed. The original design has also been preserved in the marble floor arranged in a pattern which creates a three-dimensional illusion.

    The Floor in the Library

    This is the oldest preserved floor in the Wilanów Palace, dating back to the last quarter of the 17th century, so it certainly served Jan III and his family. It is made of polygonal marble tiles in three colours. Thanks to the ingenious way they were arranged, it was possible to achieve the illusionistic effect of three-dimensionality.

    The Grand Vestibule

    The Grand Vestibule is located in the centre of the Palace; in the time of Jan III it was the first room into which guests entered. It also served as a dining room for a long time. To this day, the bas-relief decoration depicting the four elements and the four mythological winds has been preserved. In front of the entrance was once an equestrian monument of Jan III, glorifying the great victor of the Battle of Vienna.

    The White Hall

    Around 1730, when the Wilanów estate was leased by King Augustus II the Strong, a representative White Hall was built in the southern wing of the Palace. This most magnificent interior witnessed many important celebrations. Today, its decoration refers to the shape given to the hall in the 19th century, and the walls are decorated with images of subsequent owners of the Palace, including King Jan III and other representatives of the Sobieski family.

    The Battle of Vienna

    The scene of the battle between the anti-Turkish coalition troops and the Ottoman army commanded by the Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa is set against a hilly landscape, with a panorama of Vienna surrounded by a ring of fortifications visible in the distance. In the melee, the figure of King Jan III, who, according to preserved reports was the supreme commander of the allied armies, draws attention. This painting by Gonzales Franciscus Casteels is a testimony to the pan-European fame of the heroic deeds of the great Polish monarch.

    The Portrait of the Queen

    One of the most beautiful, allegorical Baroque portraits depicts Maria Kazimiera with a baby at her breast, surrounded by children, Jakub, Aleksander, Konstanty, and Teresa Kunegunda. Pictured as the goddess of motherhood, she becomes the founder of the royal Sobieski dynasty.

    In the background, visitors can see a sculptural bust of the victorious King Jan III and an eagle, whose wing shields the King's eldest son Jakub, designated as the heir to the throne.

    Maria Kazimiera's Toiletry Set

    Maria Kazimiera's toiletry set comprises a mirror and four decorative boxes. These are made of rosewood and decorated with gold inlaid marquetry, one of the most precious goldsmithing techniques. The colourful designs were created from a combination of silver, brass, and mother-of-pearl inlays. According to tradition, the set was the property of the Polish Queen Maria Kazimiera, as may be indicated by her coat of arms visible at the top of the mirror.

    The Portrait of Stanisław Kostka Potocki

    The most valuable painting in the Wilanów collection depicts the founder of the Wilanów Museum, Count Stanisław Kostka Potocki.

    It was painted by Jacques-Louis David, an outstanding French painter, the creator of the famous painting "The Death of Marat" and portraits of Emperor Napoleon. The artist's signature, together with the date of creation of the work (1781), is on the collar of the dog, visible at the left edge of the canvas.

    A Pair of Display Cabinets

    The library display cabinets from the Queen's Antechamber date from the era of Louis XIV (1643-1715). They delight viewers with their refined form and graceful proportions. Their decoration is made up of a three-colour inlay, made of black ebony, red tortoise shell and gilded brass.

    In one cabinet, the brown-red tortoise shell inlay is the background for the gold ornament, in the other, the materials are used the other way around. The cabinets are extremely valuable, in the 19th century Potocki's Museum they were used for the exposition of national historic treasures.

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